Liu Fuyin had been so tactful that the Crown Prince should have felt at ease. Yet, ever since returning to the front hall, he felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. He wondered if it was because he had softened toward her due to her evident adoration.
There were Imperial Physicians on duty in the Eastern Palace, ready to be summoned at any moment. Upon his order, one arrived shortly with a medicine chest.
“Well?” The Crown Prince still harbored some doubts about Liu Fuyin, fearing that the intimacy of the night might have been influenced by some kind of incense.
After all, he had always caught faint whiffs of a delicate fragrance on her. Before leaving, he had secretly torn off a corner of her clothing.
“Your Highness, this garment carries only ordinary incense.”
With his last trace of suspicion dispelled, a wave of guilt washed over him. So, it truly had been his own beastly impulses that took over last night.
“Do you know what to say about today’s visit?” It was hardly honorable to suspect a concubine in his own household of drugging him. More importantly, he did not want Wanwan to learn about what had happened that night.
He would take Liu Fuyin, but not now. Besides, he had promised that this matter would be handled openly in front of Wanwan.
“Your Highness summoned me due to pent-up frustration. I prescribed two doses of medicine, and after taking them, you will be fine.” Imperial Physician Chen was the Crown Prince’s confidant. Having worked together for so long, he could understand his intentions with just a glance.
Liu Fuyin had no idea what the Crown Prince was thinking. After all the commotion, she was genuinely both hungry and exhausted.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince was not entirely inconsiderate. He had arranged for the small kitchen to send her a meal.
Tonight, she had indeed used incense to influence the Crown Prince’s state of mind. Given how despicable he currently was, if she waited for the consummation ceremony, it might take a long time. After all, if she didn’t act soon, she feared she would be bullied to death by Chen Wanjun.
She wasn’t worried about the Crown Prince discovering anything. The incense was part of the System’s Newcomer Gift Pack. It only needed to be poured into the Bathing Tub during a bath, and it would seep into the skin, becoming one’s natural scent. This incense would endlessly amplify a person’s desires and would not cling to clothing.
It had to be said, the System was quite generous. The Newcomer Gift Pack had given her many miraculous items, including even Fertility Pills and False Pregnancy Pills.
Although she had previously doubted the effectiveness of these Tools, experiencing the influence of the incense today proved that the medicine was absolutely potent. Without hesitation, she swallowed the False Pregnancy Pill. The bond between those two seemed too strong; there needed to be some setback.
As the name suggested, the False Pregnancy Pill would produce the pulse of pregnancy. According to the System’s introduction, it would automatically result in a Miscarriage after four months. Usually, it would manifest no differently from a genuine pregnancy, and exposure to cold substances, collisions, or falls would show signs of a “Miscarriage.”
After all, judging by that dog of a man’s attitude, he probably wouldn’t openly touch her for now. She was, after all, a legitimate Liangdi. The first time might be excused, but she couldn’t keep playing some kind of secret affair with him afterward!
Still, last night had been truly unbearable. She wondered how long it would take to finally get rid of the Crown Prince.
“Mistress, are you alright?” After the Crown Prince left, Yun Tao finally couldn’t hold back her tears.
Yun Xing also felt heartache, but unlike the foolish Yun Tao, she only resented His Highness for his lack of restraint, even going so far as to injure the young lady’s wrist.
“I already said I’m fine.”
Yun Tao’s face was filled with indignation. “This Servant attended to you during your bath. How can you say you’re fine when you’re injured like that? His Highness went too far, actually beating you! And your wrist—that’s clearly a knife wound!”
Liu Fuyin and Yun Xing exchanged a knowing smile, but said nothing. She only briefly mentioned the injury on her hand, downplaying its significance: “This has nothing to do with His Highness. I did it myself. Fortunately, the wedding handkerchief was taken care of.”
Her words carried a clear implication: the Crown Prince had been unwilling to touch her, so she had cut her wrist to fulfill the required duty.
Though Yun Xing didn’t understand why her mistress would say such a thing, she knew her mistress must have her own reasons. So, she simply echoed Yun Tao’s words with a few remarks of her own.
While the atmosphere in their quarters was tense, it was even worse in Guanju Hall.
A porcelain vase lay shattered on the floor, and Chen Wanjun was in a furious rage.
“How could they have called for water? Did His Highness touch her?”
Ying Chun tried to soothe her: “Crown Princess, this servant has learned that it wasn’t like that. I heard His Highness flew into a rage at Liangdi Liu’s place. When His Highness arrived, Liangdi Liu was having a meal, and it’s said the food spilled on her clothes, so she called for water to bathe.”
Ying Dong chimed in as well: “Yes, Your Highness. His Highness wouldn’t even stay the night, so how could he have touched that Liangdi Liu? His Highness has only Your Highness in his heart.”
Hearing this, Chen Wanjun’s mood improved slightly.
The Crown Prince had gone to Huilan Courtyard and lost his temper because of her—how could he possibly have touched that Liangdi Liu? It was just that the woman’s beauty was too striking, which made her constantly uneasy and overthink things.
“Are you sure His Highness returned to the front hall?”
“This servant saw it clearly with my own eyes. I also heard His Highness was so enraged that he even summoned an Imperial Physician.” Ying Chun’s tone carried a hint of schadenfreude.
Both of these personal maids held a poor attitude toward the Liangdi who had suddenly appeared and disrupted their masters’ relationship. They took pleasure in seeing her miserable.
Only the Nanny nearby frowned, but in the end, she said nothing. For now, His Highness’s feelings for Her Highness were genuine, and there was no need to say anything that might upset her so late at night.
＊
Morning Greetings were typically held on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. However, since the Crown Prince wanted to conceal the fact that they had consummated the marriage, she had to put on a convincing performance.
The maids in Guanju Hall were taken aback when they saw her. “Greetings, Liangdi Liu,” they said, performing a superficial curtsy. In reality, Ying Chun’s attitude was far from respectful, and her disdain for Liu Fuyin was written all over her face.
“Please inform Her Highness that our Liangdi has come to pay Morning Greetings to the Crown Princess.” In the past, Yun Tao might have addressed Ying Chun as “sister,” but after learning how His Highness had treated their mistress, she found everyone in Guanju Hall irritating.
Liu Fuyin noticed this but did not stop it. This was exactly the effect she wanted.
“Liangdi Liu, please forgive us. Today is neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the month. Our mistress has not yet risen, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait here.”
And wait she did—for over an hour. The people in Guanju Hall showed them no hospitality, so Liu Fuyin stood there for more than an hour before she finally saw the Crown Princess emerge from the inner hall.
“That Ying Chun truly lacks manners. She didn’t even know to inform me when you arrived, sister, and made you wait so long.”
Though she spoke of Ying Chun’s lack of propriety, Chen Wanjun didn’t even offer a perfunctory reprimand.
Earlier that morning, the wedding handkerchief had passed through her hands on its way to the Empress. In the end, she had miscalculated—she should never have directed her husband to that woman! The thought that her husband had touched this seductress in just a few hours made her heart ache. Not driving the woman out was already an act of restraint on her part.
“This humble concubine greets Elder Sister Crown Princess. Elder Sister need not trouble herself over this. Today, this humble concubine came uninvited and disturbed Elder Sister’s pleasant dreams.”
“Bring a seat.”
From the moment Chen Wanjun appeared, her gaze had been fixed on Liu Fuyin. The woman’s face showed not a trace of grievance or discontent, but even carried a hint of innocent remorse.
She did not believe anyone could truly be so purely kind-hearted and deliberately remarked, “Sister Liu looks rather pale. Could it be that serving His Highness last night was too exhausting?”
Liu Fuyin’s eyes flickered away, her expression tinged with bitterness. Then, as if recalling something, it was replaced by a smile. “Sister, please don’t tease me. It would be fortunate enough if His Highness did not despise me—how could he possibly touch me?”
As she spoke, Liu Fuyin’s mood sank further. Hesitantly, she revealed her wrist wrapped in bandages, still stained with blood.
“I have seen His Highness’s affection for you, sister, and I do not wish for you to misunderstand. His Highness… never touched me, nor was he willing to stay the night. The blood on the wedding handkerchief is from this…”